Heel construction



April 14, 1942.

1.. E. SAUER E; N. 2,279,894

HEEL CONS TRUCTIQN Filed Feb. 24. 1940 f/m/kr M Paws; (oz/As E. 5.40518,

Patented Apr. 14, 1942 UNITED HEEL CONSTRUCTION Louis E. Sauer, University City, and Henry N. Pearson, St. Louis, Mo., assignors to Pearson Heel Manufacturing Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application February 24, 1940, Serial No. 320,544

6 Claims. (01. 36-42) The present invention relates to attachment means, and particularly to means for attaching a heel tap or top lift to a heel.

It is, of course, obvious that the same sort of attachment could be used for attaching a heel to a shoe, and could be used in other similar connections.

vThe invention contemplates the forming of a shoe heel bottom in such wise as to receive and clamp a clip or plug projecting upwardly from the heel top lift. The clip is provided with a portion at one end, preferably the front, engaging with a corresponding portion of the heel in such wise that force applied from the top lift through the clip to the heel produces a tight seating of the top lift and its clip, and in which there is a point of application of such pressure close to the upper surface of the top lift. The opposite end is designed so that should wear or tear or other action produce any room for lost motion in the attaching means, such lost motion will automatically be taken up and a tight engagement at all times ensured.

The invention provides means for preventingtwisting of the top lift relative to the heel and also means to reduce wear caused by twisting forces.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the bottom of a shoe heel with the top lift and the present attaching means;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section looking upwardly from the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top view of the top lift with the clip thereon;

Fig. 4 is a rear view of the clip;

Fig. 5 is a front view of a slightly modified form of clip; and,

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section enlarged from Fig. 1.

A shoe heel II] has a top lift l I attached thereto by a clip, generally indicated at 12. The heel member may be made of plastic material, such as disclosed in the Pearson, et a1. application, Serial No. 234,202 of which case this is in part a ;division. The walls are somewhat resilient though only resistingly so. An opening l3 extends from the bottom of the heel. The lower part of the front of the wall around this opening slopes inwardly and downwardly to the bottom of the heel member If], as shown at M. The angle of this slope may be 45 or some other suitable angle. The hole l3 preferably conforms generally to the outer shape of the heel member. At the back of this hole, there is an indented part l5 providlog side edges l6 and H for a purpose to be described. A short distance above the bottom wall of the heel member and at the back thereof, there is a notch l8 having a sloping bottom; wall I9 and a sloping top wall 20.

The clip I2 on the top lift I I has a main portion 23 that is secured to the upper surface of the top lift by several prongs 24'that are formed integrally with the body portion 23 but turned downwardly therefrom. The tips 25 of the prongs are curved preferably inwardly though they could be curved outwardly so that when they are driven into the top lift ll, they deflect the prongs inwardly toward a horizontal position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, thus effectively clamping the clip l2 to the top lift.

From the front edge of the body portion 23 of the clip I2, there extends upwardly and forwardly an angular portion 21, the angle of which corresponds to the angle of the wall portion M of the heel member 10.. This portion 21 extends to the lateral limits of the front portion of the opening I3 which lateral limits are square, as

shown in Fig. 2. At the sides of the angular portion 21 are wings 29 engaging the walls 28 over a considerable surface. These wings engage snugly against the walls 28 and when sprung slightly outwardly, so that they are in compression when inserted into the heel, produce a greater resistance against twisting of the top lift, This twisting action, in the absence of the wings, might cause the edges of the portion 21 gradually to cut into the material of the walls 28 of the heel member ll).

At the back of the clip l2 an engagement member 3| extends. It includes a first portion 32 that rises more or less vertically and which is disposed to extend between the side walls l6 and .ll of the indentation 15. Wings 33 may be provided on opposite lateral edges of the riser portion 32 to engage against the walls It and H in a manner such as that provided by the wings 29 on the front portion 21.

From the upper part of the riser part 32, there extends backwardly and somewhat upwardly a portion 34 at an angle substantially that of the notch wall I9. It will be seen that the riser portion 32 is normally disposed in front of the back wall of the indentation l5. This riser portion also terminates in bearing or engaging portion 36 slightly below the forward edge of the wall l9.

At the back of the bearing portion 34, the portion 3! turns upwardly at a point spaced from the back wall of the notch l 8. It then turns outwardly and upwardly at 35, the portion 35 being disposed a distance below the top wall 20 of the notch [8.

In use the wall 21 is engaged over the wall I of the heel member as nearly as may be. The upper surface 35 of the rear member 3| of the clip l2 will then engage the back part of the bottom of the indentation l5. Pressure applied to the back of the top lift II will be transmitted to the point of engagement between the clip wall 35 and the heel member. The wall 35 slopes up-' wardly and inwardly so that the applied force pushes the back member 3| of the clip forward by a wedging action until theibaok of'the wall 35 rides within the indentation "f5. "Further upward pressure causes the member 35 to ride up the indentation l5 until it snaps into the notch l8. It is wedged into this notch by virtue of the slope of the wall I9. The inherent spring of the clip causes the front portion 21 and the back portion 3| to spread apart as far as possible, which causes a snug engagement between the member 2! and thewall l4 and the member 34 with the wall I9. As noted, the riser wall does not move back into engagement with the back wall of the indentation l5.

Upon application of walking pressure to the bottom of the top lift H, such pressure is transmitted through the clip by its front wa1l-21 to the heel member ill. The wedge-like action of the front portion l4 causes this force merely to produce a more :snugengagement betweenthe top .lift and the heel. Furthermore, the lever arm iof the resistanceto this force is low so that it does not have a large leverage acting against the springiness of themember 21.

Should there be a rearward displacement of the top lift II, the spreading resiliency of the clip 'will cause the back member 3| to move backward further andzenga'ge at a new relationship within .the notch 1'8, preserving'the tight clamping action of the clip. If there is any displacement upwardly of the clip,-as by pressure applied to the bottom -of thetopvlift, this upward movement 'will again be accommodated by the'spreading actionof the "clip and the wedging effect will be maintained.

In the modification of Fig. '5, the front wall :l2 1'is divided by a notch I28 and the front prong l26 is provided to cooperate with the regular;

prongs I24. also. The-splitting of the members l2'I-and l3l provides for somewhat greater :resilien'cy, both The back member -l-3l is slotted longitudinally and laterally.

The wings 29 or 33 may be omitted but ares":

preferably present .in both forms. It will be observed that:the-several'elements of this clip can be readilystam'ped rout of a piece of flatimetal. In the insertion of the clip-into the heel, there is preferably presentnot only a resiliency of the;

clip itself, but some "yielding resiliency of the wall of the heel member =10, If this heel member is of plastic material, "such resiliency may beobtainedby the disclosed design, since plastic material does not take a permanent set by thei'.

'IrlOIi "surface between the member and element, the engaging means having an-element extending :from' said common surface into the opening eluding an opening in one having a surface sloping upwardly and outwardly from the common surface, and an element extending into said opening from the common surface, said element having a first portion spaced from the surface,

a second portion overhanging into engagement 'with-the surface, and a third portion attached to the second, and extending upwardly and inwardly therefrom, and said interengaging means normally urging said second portion against said sloping surface, the third portion assisting in the installation of the heel element onto the member.

3. A member and a heel element therefor adapted for attachment at a common surface and interengaging'rneans therefor, the interengaging means including an opening 'in one extending from thecommon surface, and a clip on the other extending into said opening, the opening having a part with side walls, and an end wall, forming a notch, the clip extending in said part of the opening, spaced from the said end wall and'engaging the side walls to resist twisting, and having an overhanging part engaging in the notch wherebythe member and element may be engaged.

4. A member and a heel element adapted for attachment at a :common surface, and interengaging means between the two including an opening in one having side walls, and a flat clip on the other extending from, said surface into the opening, said cliphaving overturned wings engaging over a-substantialarea with theside walls :to distribute twisting forces.

5. An attaching clip for securing shoe members together wherein onexmember has an opening with opposite overhanging walls, saidclip comprising a body member "formed of sheet metal or like material, said body member having a first end portion extending upwardly and outwardly therefrom, and a second-endportionopposite-the first end portion, said second end portion extending upwardly and outwardly toprovide a springable wall adaptedforyielding movement substantially about the junction of thesesond end portion with body member for insertion of the clip into said opening by yielding .ofsaid member, and securing of the clip on said-overhanging walls.

"6. A member and a heel element adapted for attachment at a common surface, and'interengaging means between the two, said means including an opening in one having a surface sloping upwardly and outwardly from the common surface, and :an element extending into said opening from the common surface, said element having a first :por-tion spaced "from the surface, a second portion overhanging intoengagement with the surface, 'anda third portion attached to the second, and extending upwardly and inwardly therefrom, and saidintere'ngagin'g means normally urging saidsecond portion against said sloping surface, the third portion assisting in the installation of the heel element onto the member, said thirdportion'being spaced from the walls of the-opening'when-the element isin place.

FLOUIS E. SAUER. HENRY N. PEARSON. 

